New Year's Eve
by majesticseducer
Summary: On the first New Year's Eve Carswell Thorne meets her. The second, he makes her a promise. By the third, he finds his life has been changed.


**The first.**

Thorne heads to Cinder's party for New Year's Eve. Technically, it's Cinder _and_ Kai's party since they just moved in together but Thorne still gets too much pleasure from pretending to deny Kai's existence like this - despite the fact that Thorne really couldn't approve of Kai more. It's a pretty nice shindig, as they go. There's plenty to drink, Cinder's got a pretty good playlist going, and Thorne is able to squeeze in one dance with Scarlet before Wolf drags her back to him.

Partying with his closest friends in the world is not a bad way to ring in the New Year.

He's dances with Iko most of the night, when he's not flirting Cinder. Iko is sassy and bold on the dancefloor, as she is in all venues of life, and she has a habit of trying to tell him jokes over the music - mostly about their friends. At one point in the evening, Thorne goes to get them both drinks and when he returns Iko is chatting merrily with a petite girl whose pale blonde hair floats around her face in wisps. She looks a little shy, like she doesn't feel in place here.

"This is Cress!" Iko introduces her, shouting (a little more than she needs to) to be heard over the bassline.

Thorne has had maybe a bit too much to drink by this point, which is probably why he sweeps up Cress's hand and kisses it grandly. He has no other excuse for doing it, other than, perhaps, to break through her nerves. "Charmed," he smiles dashingly. "I'm Thorne."

"Nice to meet you," Cress replies. He can barely hear her, but the small smile she gives him seems like a good sign, and she seems more at ease.

Iko explains that Cress goes to the same college she does. Cress tells him that she's studying computer science. "I also dabble in theatre," she mentions. Iko makes a wry comment that from backstage Cress'll probably hacks into the nation's security systems. Cress offers a rather proud smile, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. She turns the conversation to him and to Iko, seemingly embarrassed to have discussed herself for so long. Iko regales them with a story about a guy she met who somehow managed to be absolutely lovely and thoroughly rude. Cress and Thorne both laugh through her lively reenactment. Thorne tells them about the flying lessons he started taking recently (a gift from his parents). He's hopeless at it, which he doesn't quite reveal, instead complaining about the unhelpful nature of his instructor.

"I think I'll just steal the damn plane and make out on my own. I'd have a much better time," he jokes. He's gratified when Cress laughs appreciatively.

Thorne is surprised to find that he actually is charmed by Cress, even through her shyness. He asks her to dance, and she smiles and nods wordlessly. As he leads her out on the dancefloor (grooving along to "Uptown Funk"), the music suddenly switches and a slow song starts to play. Cress is utterly timid as he glances down at her. Without hesitation, he sweeps her into his arms, curling his hand around hers. She must be at least a foot shorter than he is, barely reaching his shoulder. As the song goes on, she eventually rests her head softly against his chest and they sway together.

It's their only dance, but he has to confess that he enjoys it.

It comes time for the countdown. Thorne is surrounded by Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolf, and Iko. He is clutching a bottle of champagne in one hand, his other arm around Iko's shoulders. With every number they're jumping up and down and screaming like idiots. At the stroke of midnight, this only intensifies. Thorne pulls Iko into his arms for an over the top kiss. He reaches over to hug Cinder and Kai at the same time. Then he notices that Cress has slipped to his side. Before he can react, she raises up on tiptoe and pulls him down to meet her lips to his cheek in a quick, soft kiss.

"Happy New Year," she whispers into his ear before she disappears into the crowd.

He watches her go for a moment before Iko and Cinder are pulling him into their circle to sing a very loud and off key "Auld Lang Syne."

He wonders about Cress, Iko's shy, little friend. But he doesn't see her again until the next New Year's Eve.

 **The next.**

It's been a rough year for all of them. They've struggled through a multitude of hardships to get there, to this New Year's Eve Party, Thorne thinks. Kai and Cinder host it again this year, this time having to pause as every one of their guests congratulates them on their newly announced engagement as they arrive. Thorne pretends to pick a fight with Kai for stealing his girl. Then he hugs them both and reminds Cinder that he's supposed to be her maid of honor. So maybe this year is starting to pick up, just at the end.

He and Scarlet engage in a drinking game that hinges around how friendly he tends to get with the ladies and how revoltingly coupley she and Wolf tend to be. He enjoys the challenge and the satisfaction of getting to storm up to Scarlet at various points in the evening and ordering her to drink for crossing the line of PDA.

Again, he and Iko dance for much of the evening. They delight in devising moves that are totally ridiculous or thoroughly scandalous. (Some of them earn him a shot as penalty from Scarlet. He takes it with as much grace as he can as he gets increasingly drunk.)

He stumbles over a girl on the dancefloor, carried away by his enthusiasm. "Aces," he mutters to himself as he picks her up off the floor. She's so small he thinks he could've crushed her. And then she looks up at him and he realizes that it's Cress. "Fancy seeing you here," he comments, surprised enough to forget it was a line. He hasn't seen her in a year.

She laughs up at him, grabbing his arms with her delicate hands. "Thorne!" She exclaims with delight. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" He realizes from her exuberance that she's probably drunk. And as she almost falls while still clinging onto his arms, he realizes that she's probably a little more drunk than she needs to be.

"C'mon," he instructs, wrapping an arm around her slight frame. "I thought you were a college student. Aren't you supposed to be able to party harder than this?"

"I don't go to many parties," she confesses, holding tightly onto him. And then she giggles. He didn't know that could be so charming.

He leads her away from the dance floor and sits her down in the kitchen. He gets her some water, and they sit together, talking. She tells him about her classes, about how she's planning on graduating early. For some reason, she's able to remember what he told her a year ago about taking flying lessons and she asks around them. He tells her about how he quit. And then (with only a slight hesitation) he tells her how he's broken with his family and been disinherited. In return, she tells him about growing up in foster care.

After they swap tales of woe for a while, he turns back to jokes. He makes her laugh with stories of growing up with Cinder and Iko. She asks him about how Cinder met Kai, and he launches into a well rehearsed rendition of the full story.

"So, why don't I see you with Iko more often?" He finally asks. "Aces, I feel like I'm always hanging out with her."

She makes a face that's half frustrated, half regretful. "I'm just so busy with everything. Classes and theatre and work...But if I ever get any more free time, I'll try to track Iko down."

"You should," he nods. He realizes that he would like to see more of her. "So...who's gonna be your kiss tonight?"

"Um…" Her cheeks have flamed bright red. She ducks her chin down so that her short hair falls across her face. "I don't know. I've never actually...I mean…Like I said, I'm so busy and I don't go out much. I just..."

He glances over at her. "Really?" She nods, not looking at him. "You kissed me last year," he reminds her in a devilish tone.

"Not a proper kiss," she says, her voice agonized. He doesn't know if she sounds agonized just because she's embarrassed about not having been kissed or if it's because she wants a proper kiss with him. But…

"Well. Would you like one?"

Cress's eyes fly up to meet his. Her face is still a bright red. "You would? Are you sure?"

Thorne nods. "Only if you want me to."

She nods in return. Her lips barely part to utter a soft, "Yes."

"I'll come find you then," he smiles at her. "When it's time."

Iko interrupts them soon after this. She shoos Thorne away so that she can take a series of silly selfies with Cress. Thorne goes and dances with Winter for a bit. (She's the latest addition to their friend group, along with Jacin who hardly ever leaves her side.) Then he and Wolf get into a mostly fake wrestling match (something Thorne only does when he's a little drunk because he always forgets just how much he'll lose to Wolf). He insists on breaking into Cinder and Scarlet's discussion of the upcoming wedding and contributes some very valuable insight on color palettes.

And then Kai interrupts them all and passes out champagne. Someone turns the tv up very loud and everyone is excitedly milling into the living room, ready to countdown to the New Year.

Throne remembers that he needs to find Cress. He pushes through the throng of people. He's amazed at how many friends Cinder and Kai have and despairs over Cress being so little and easy to lose in a crowd. The shouts of "Ten, nine, eight…" have already started and Thorne's starting to worry that he might accidentally break his promise.

Suddenly he spots her, standing in the corner. She looks like she's despaired over him remembering her. It's that sad little expression on her face that spurs him forward. He pulls her into his arms just as the ball reaches it's final destination and everyone yells "Happy New Year!" fill the room. He dips her backwards and brushes his lips down against hers, soft and gentle against his own. His arms hold her securely against his chest and he feels her hands reaching around the back of his neck, clutching him close.

The kiss is lengthy and dramatic. It's a pretty good kiss, if he says so himself. As he sweeps her back upright, he brushes her hair back and pauses to frame her face with her hand. They're both breathing hard, and their eyes are fixed on each other. He knows that he's fulfilled his promise and yet he lingers. There's something in her eyes that's drawing him back in. He longs to taste the sweetness of her lips once more.

So, he does. His other hand resting at her back, he crushes through the small space that separates them and pulls her back to him. She leans up eagerly into the second kiss. Her hands immediately thread through his hair. His arms lock around her, drawing her so close. As their mouths tear at each other Thorne moves to push her against the nearby wall.

"Hey!" Scarlet yells from behind them, making a disapproving noise. "That's another drink, Thorne!"

Thorne refuses to acknowledge the interruption, and thankfully neither does Cress. He can hear Scarlet's laughter as he leans down even further into the kiss.

 **And then.**

It's the best party yet.

Again, it's at Cinder and Kai's. Thorne teases them about still living in their squalid little apartment since Kai is so filthy rich and they're now married. Cinder coolly tells him that she likes their little apartment. Thorne opens his mouth to continue teasing.

Next to him, Cress elbows him. "I think it's charming. Besides, it's your home. It must have so many good memories." At that, Thorne glances down at her and grins. Was it only a year ago? He doesn't know how this New Year's Eve can ever compete because last year's was the best day of his life. Of course, this year he gets to arrive with Cress already at his side. Nothing can beat that.

So, he backs down. He kisses Cinder's cheek and lets Cress drag him into the party. Right away, Iko runs into his arms - jubilantly hugging first him, then Cress. He doesn't see her so much these days, not since she moved away to work in the fashion industry in New York City. (Apparently she still sends Cinder daily outfit suggestions, though.) She and Cress gush together for a few minutes. Cress insists that they'll come visit her soon since she's never been to the city. Thorne's mind wanders as he imagines sightseeing with Cress, showing her all his favorite sights, strolling around at night, and ducking in to eat at little hole in the wall restaurants. It'd be fun to make a road trip out of it.

And then Scarlet and Wolf arrive and spot them. There's another round of hugs and excited greetings. They all recap how their lives are going. Thorne's eye catches on the gold band on Scarlet's finger, still faintly surprised to see it there. They'd gotten engaged in August, just after Cinder and Kai's wedding, and then two months later they got married. He asks how married life is suiting them, and Scarlet and Wolf just smile at each other.

"I'm expecting you two to have a baby soon with how fast you got married," Thorne laughs. Scarlet just smirks at him and says nothing. Wolf puts a proud arm around her, and Thorne blanches. "What?!"

"We just found out," Scarlet tells them, all smiles. Cress and Iko explode with excited sentiments. There are more hugs and cries of, "Congratulations!" Thorne stands there gaping at them like a fish, his mouth opening and closing silently. Then he pulls himself together and hugs Scarlet and hails Wolf as "Pop." It's not like it's that much of a surprise when he really thinks about it, but he congratulates them on their efficiency.

Iko pulls him away to dance. And the two of them lose their cares and the looming press of real adulthood on the dancefloor. And it really is the best party. Cinder and Kai join them soon with Cinder breaking out a mean rendition of the robot. Winter and Jacin are there, clinging to one another as if they're just beginning their romance rather than perfecting it with time.

Cress doesn't stay as glued at the hip. She flits at the edge of his vision. She floats around, dazzling all of their friends with her laugh and her smile. Yet despite the distance between them, he knows that he can reach out to her and find her at his side in a heartbeat. But he also likes looking up and catching her eye from across the room. He likes knowing that he's always at least at the edge of her thoughts. He likes the golden smile she gives him every time their eyes meet.

Aces, how did he ever get so lucky? Thorne wonders this as Cress joins him for a dance. He loses track of time in her eyes, and before long it's just before midnight. He and Cress are arm in arm, yelling at the top of their lungs. He wonders in the span of those ten seconds what the next year will bring. And then it's midnight, and he and Cress are kissing. The kiss is deep and filled with as much heat as the kiss from the year from before but with none of the franticness.

Thorne doesn't know what the future will hold. Maybe they'll travel the country, or the world. Maybe he'll ask Cress to marry him. Not to keep up with the rest of their friends but because he can't imagine his life without this crazy perfect girl he found. Maybe they'll pull off an elaborate heist. Who knows.

Cress threads her hand through his, and he smiles down at her.


End file.
